Abstract: The Student Aid Commission administers various financial aid programs for postsecondary schooling. The original commission,
then known as the State Scholarship Commission, consisted of nine members, with representatives from private institutions,
public universities, and members of governing boards of school districts. The records of the Student Aid Commission (SAC)
comprise 23 cubic feet of textual records reflecting the various scholarship and loan programs of the Student Aid Commission
and its predecessors. The collection covers the years of 1955-1996.

Physical location: California State Archives

Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English

Administrative Information

Access

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.

The State Archives received these records in a series of transfers according to state law.The Student Aid Commission administers
various financial aid programs for postsecondary schooling. The original commission, then known as the State Scholarship Commission,
consisted of nine members, with representatives from private institutions, public universities, and members of governing boards
of school districts. The State Scholarship Commission was created during the 1955 Regular Session of the Legislature (Chapter
1846) to administer a competitive college assistance program for California undergraduates, known as the State Scholarship
Program. Eligible students for the State Scholarship Program were selected on the basis of a number of criteria, such as outstanding
grade point averages, favorable scholastic aptitude test scores, and a demonstrated financial need via financial statements.
The first scholarships were awarded in spring 1956, resulting in 600 state scholarships. By 1959, 1,600 scholarships were
made available.

During a 1960 Legislative Special Session, the Legislature approved a budgetary increase for the Plan for Higher Education,
which increased the number of award recipients to 5,120. During the same session, the awards amount increased from $300 to
$900. In 1966, the commission was renamed the Scholarship and Loan Commission and expanded to include broader financial aid
programs. The name change was in accordance to Chapter 1405,
Statutesof 1965, which authorized the expansion of the original commission. The commission included two additional financial assistance
programs: the State Graduate Fellowship Program and the State Guaranteed Loan Program. The State Graduate Fellowship Program
was similar to the State Scholarship Program, as it financially assisted academically eligible students with tuition and fees.
However, the fellowship program was only a year long program, reserved for students planning to teach at California colleges.
The State Guaranteed Loan Program coincided with the authorized federal funds appropriated by the Higher Education Act of
1965. While eligible students were enrolled in college, the federal government covered the interest of the student loan in
its entirety and half the interest upon graduation.

By 1971, the Scholarship and Loan Commission created two additional programs: the College Opportunity Program and the Occupational
Education and Training Program. The College Opportunity Program was specifically targeted to disadvantaged students, who had
potential for college success and community leadership. Selection into the program was determined by basis of need, grades,
and letters of recommendations. Grant recipients received tuition funds after the first year, along with living allowances.
Occupational Education and Training Grants provided skilled workers with post-secondary occupational education aid to talented
disadvantaged students.

For the 1977-1978 fiscal year, the Student Aid Commission implemented the Cal Grant Program. The Cal Grant Program was divided
into three categories: the State Scholarship Program (Cal Grant A); College Opportunity Program (Cal Grant B); and Occupational
Educational and Training Program (Cal Grant C). Chapter 113,
Statutes of 1978, authorized the creation of the Student Opportunity and Access Program, which seeks to increase the accessibility
of postsecondary education to both disadvantaged high school students and community college students. The goal of the program
is to provide helpful information to postsecondary education, along with raising academic achievement levels of the program's
candidates.

By the 1980s, various programs were either added, consolidated, and discontinued. During the 1984-1985 fiscal year, the Supervised
Clinical Training Program was discontinued as it was determined to be unconstitutional. The various teacher programs were
consolidated under the California State Work Study Program, including the Assumption Program of Loans for Education (APLE);
Federal Congressional Teacher Scholarship Program; and Bilingual Teacher Grant Program.

During the 1990s, the Student Aid Commission established additional scholarship programs, such as the Paul Douglas Teacher
Scholarship and the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship. The Paul Douglas Scholarship provided academically eligible students
with a $5,000 year scholarship for students pursuing a career in teaching. The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship granted exceptionally
able students a $1,500 scholarship, renewable for at least four years. Consolidation and dissolution of programs also occurred
during this time, as the California State Work Study Program and Bilingual Teacher Grant Program were discontinued,the APLE
was established as an independent program, and the Paul Douglas Scholarship replaced the Federal Congressional Teacher Program.

Scope and Content

The records of the Student Aid Commission (SAC) comprise 23 cubic feet of textual records reflecting the various scholarship
and loan programs of the Student Aid Commission and its predecessors. The collection covers the years of 1955-1996. The records
are organized into 15 series and two subgroups. The first group is organized into two series: Administrative Files, 1955-1982;
College Correspondence, 1985-1990. The Specialized Programs subgroup is organized into thirteen series: Student Aid Commission
Special Program Reports, 1987-1993; Student Aid Commission Meeting Files, 1993-1994; Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program
(PDTSP) Program Files, 1986-1996; Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program (PDTSP) Government Correspondence, 1986-1989; Assumption
Program and Loans for Education (APLE) Meeting Files, 1983-1986; Assumption Program and Loans for Education (APLE) Reports,
1984-1992; Bilingual Teacher Grant (BTG) Correspondence, 1986-1989; Carl Perkins Program Files, 1986-1989; Law Enforcement
Personnel Dependents (LEPD) Program Files, 1989-1990; State Work Study Correspondence (SWS), 1982-1986; SWS Meeting Files,
1987-1990; SWS Program Files, 1986-1988; SWS Reports, 1985-1990.

Found within this collection are program management materials, final reports, and meeting agendas and minutes, along with
correspondences between
university administrators, Department of Education officials, and Commission members. Although files are organized by department
of origin, in many instances files overlap between the California Grant Programs and the Specialized Programs. The Administrative
Files feature both aspects of the California Grant Programs and the Specialized Programs. The Administrative Files contains
information pertaining to the administrative history of the SAC, State Scholarship Commission, and State Scholarship and Loan
Commission. In the Specialized Programs sub-group, strengths of the collection include series pertaining to the development
of the various scholarship and loan programs, such as the PDTSP Program Files (1986-1996), the Carl Perkins Program Files
(1986-1989), APLE Reports (1984-1992), and the State Work Study Program Files (1986-1988).

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.

Student loans

Student aid

California. Department of Education

Series Description

F3940

Series 1
Administrative Files1955-1982

Physical Description: 528 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Administrative files of the Student Aid Commission covering correspondence between the commission and various agencies affiliated
with education and/or financial aid. Files cover a range of subject matter, including individual programs governed by the
commission; federal, intercollegiate, and out-of-state programs; laws and other considerations affecting financial aid; and
study reports.

See Appendix A in Additional Series Information for a complete list of folder titles in the Administrative Files.

College Correspondence includes letters received and written by members of the commission and university administrators. The
correspondence documents the status of scholarship award winners from each participating university, scholarship award status
for each participating university, and schedules of tuition and fee charges.

Specialized Programs Unit1979-1996

Scope and Content

The Student Aid Commission Specialized Programs focus on the various teacher scholarship awards and loans programs administered
by the commission,
including the Assumption and Loans for Education Program, Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship, Bilingual Teacher Grant, and Carl
Perkins Scholarship.
Additionally, the Specialized Programs Unit oversees the Law Enforcement Dependent Program and the State Work Study Program.

Series 4
Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program (PDTSP) Government Correspondence1986-1987

Physical Description: 2 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by correspondence date.

Scope and Content

The Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program is not a state program, rather a federally-run program administered through the
California Student Aid Commission. California Education Code Sections 69741 and 69742 provide authority for CSAC to promulgate
regulations. As such, the Government Correspondence includes letters sent and received by federal Department of Education
officials and SAC members. The subjects discussed in the correspondence include federal program requirements, special grant
terms and conditions, certification policies, scholarship program models, and teacher commitment agreements.

R215.005, Box 2, folder 24 - Box 3, folder 8

Series 5
Assumption Program and Loans for Education (APLE) Meeting Files1983-1986

Physical Description: 11 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by committee name.

Scope and Content

APLE (Assumption Program and Loans for Education) Meeting Files contain agendas and minutes from the various overseeing groups
of the APLE, including the APLE Advisory Committee 1985-1986; APLE Advisory Council, 1983-1986; Teacher Shortage Loan Assumption
Program (TSLAP) Advisory Committee, 1983-1984; and Student Aid Commission, 1990.The topics found in the Meeting Files include
program progress reports, amendments to enabling legislation, and the APLE Advisory Council's implementation and management
of the Carl D. Perkins Scholarship.

R215.006, Box 3, folders 8-20

Series 6
Assumption Program and Loans for Education (APLE) Reports1984-1992

Correspondence includes letters sent and received by California Department of Education officials, Student Aid Commission
members, and members of the Legislative Budget Committee. The subjects discussed include the appointment advisory council
members, the integration of the Bilingual Teacher Corps, and supporting legislation.

Correspondence includes Attorney General Correspondence, 1986; Meeting Notices, 1984; and Supporting Legislation Correspondence,
1984. The subjects discussed include the State Work Study institutional eligibility, funding, employer eligibility, and student
eligibility.

R215.011, Box 4, folders 7-14

Series 11
State Work Study (SWS) Meeting Files1987-1990

Physical Description: 8 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of meeting.

Scope and Content

State Work Study Meeting Files contains agendas, minutes, and correspondences from the SWS Advisory Committee and the Student
Aid Commission. The subjects discussed in the Meeting Files include program responsibilities, statistics and year end reports,
the history of the SWS, and the independent program evaluation mandated by the Office of the Legislative Analyst.

R215.012, Box 4, folders 15-21

Series 12
State Work Study (SWS) Program Files1986-1988

Physical Description: 7 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content

The SWS Program Files contains information pertaining to the management and development of the State Work Study program. Files
include bill files, correspondence, news articles, operations reports, and scholarship manuals. Subjects discussed in this
series include: Background Materials, 1982-1986; Cooperative and Intern Materials, 1986; Fact Sheet, 1987-1988; Operations
Manual, 1986; Programs in Other States, 1982-1986; State Work Study Cooperative Manual, 1986.

R215.013, Box 4, folders 22-27

Series 13
State Work Study (SWS) Reports1985-1990

Physical Description: 6 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content

Contains various reports pertaining to the State Work Study (SWS), including: Final Reports, 1990; Interim Reports, 1989;
Program Statistics, 1987-1989; Reallocation Requests, 1988-1989; SB417, 1985-1986, and Year End Reports, 1988-1989. Subjects
discussed in the SWS Reports include scholarship development, budgetary matters, legislative analysis, and correspondence
with program participants.